title: Large splenic volume may be a useful predictor for partial splenic embolization-induced liver functional improvement in cirrhotic patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Partial splenic embolization (PSE) for cirrhotic patients has been reported not only to achieve an improvement in thrombocytopenia and portal hypertension, but also to induce PSE-associated fringe benefit such as individual liver functional improvement. The purpose of this study was to clarify the predictive marker of liver functional improvement due from PSE in cirrhotic patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 1999 to January 2009, 83 cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism-induced thrombocytopenia (platelet count <10 × 10(4)/μl) underwent PSE. Of them, 71 patients with follow-up for more than one year after PSE were retrospectively investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In liver tissues after PSE, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive hepatocytes were remarkably increased, speculating that PSE induced liver regenerative response. Indeed, serum albumin and cholinesterase levels increased to 104 ± 14% and 130 ± 65% each of the pretreatment level at one year after PSE. In a multiple linear regression analysis, preoperative splenic volume was extracted as the predictive factor for the improvement in cholinesterase level after PSE. Cirrhotic patients with preoperative splenic volume >600 ml obtained significantly higher serum albumin and cholinesterase levels at one year after PSE compared to those with less than 600 ml (P-values were 0.029 in both).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A large preoperative splenic volume was the useful predictive marker for an effective PSE-induced liver functional improvement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, 1-1-1 Honjo, Kumamoto, 860-8556, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromitsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beppu
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: Hirohisa
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okabe
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ikuta
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Chikamoto
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Baba
mesh_terms: D002802:Cholinesterases / Q000097:blood; D004621:Embolization, Therapeutic / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D006971:Hypersplenism / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000628:therapy; D008099:Liver / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000628:therapy*; D008115:Liver Regeneration; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D013154:Spleen / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D002802:Cholinesterases
keywords: Liver cirrhosis; Liver functional improvement; Partial splenic embolization; Preoperative splenic volume